IFAD supports Niger Delta smallholder farmers with $60 million

•Delay of NDDC stalls project take-off in three states

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has contributed $60 million for the implementation of the jointly-funded Federal Government Livelihood Empowerment Family Enterprise Project in the Niger Delta.

The six-year project supported by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has reached about 14,500 smallholder farmers across Delta, Edo, Abia, Cross River, Bayelsa and Ondo states within three years of implementation.

The Country Director, IFAD Nigeria, Dede Ekoue, while speaking at the official launch of the mid-term review mission of the project in Abuja, yesterday, said IFAD has contributed $60 million out of the total project cost of $97.8 million.
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According to her, NDDC is to contribute $30 million while federal and state governments would contribute $0.57 million and $4.88 respectively, saying, unfortunately, the NDDC is yet to contribute its quota to kick-start the project in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Imo.

She said the project has made significant progress, including reaching about 14,155 smallholder farmers as against the targeted 25,500 farmers. That puts the progress at 55.5 per cent

She said the project has engaged 792 mature businesses to create and coach 6,035 new enterprises, generating gainful employment for women and youths.

Ekoue added: “To boost the achievement of a nutritional goal, a total of 2,500 community women and youths have been trained on the use and cultivation of bio-fortified planting materials – Provitamin A cassava, brown rice, fruits, orange-fleshed sweet potato and vegetable homestead establishment in over 35 schools and 150 incubation centres to improve nutrition and income generation.

The Director, the Project Coordinating Unit in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Musa Bujar, commended IFAD on the implementation of the project in six oil-producing states, urging them to also accommodate the remaining states.

He assured of the ministry’s commitment to ensuring full implementation of the project.
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